If you have a great idea for a nonfiction
book, the first step isn't to create the manuscript, but to craft a book
proposal that clearly describes your concept, why it'll be compelling
to a large number of readers, the ways in which it can be promoted to
those readers, and how you'd flesh it out in book form. This proposal
can then be used to attract agents and convince book publishers. It's
only after obtaining a contractual commitment and advance payment from
a publisher that you should proceed to the next step, which is actually
writing the book (either by yourself or with a ghostwriter).
Publishers vastly prefer this approach, because
it avoids your being "locked in" to any element of the book,
giving an editor the freedom to request adjustments before you pour time
and energy into the manuscript.
I know of what I speak, because I'm the author
or co-author of 14 acclaimed books that have sold hundreds of thousands
of copies.
These include five books in the popular Dummies series, which demonstrate my
ability to explain even dry, complex concepts in an accessible, entertaining
manner that anyone can understand.
They also include a book on electronic tools
for writers that garnered raves from The
New York Times; and my interview-based book The
Sandman Companion, which involved conducting hundreds of hours
of conversations with over two dozen people...resulting in a national
bestseller.
I sold each of these books on the basis of
a 5-15 page "pitch" letter and a detailed contents outline. And I
use the same skills developed to get my own books published to help both experienced
writers and beginners—doctors, lawyers, business
executives, artists, life coaches, chefs, psychologists,
marketers, dietary experts, financial advisors, fitness trainers, spiritual
gurus, and many other diverse professionals—turn
their sharp book ideas into dynamic book proposals.
My name is Hy Bender, and you're unlikely
to find anyone who'd do a better job of identifying and then presenting
on paper the best aspects of your book idea. Regardless of your level
of experience, I'll take your concept very seriously and, if I believe
you have a solid chance at selling it, will work hard to create a winning
book proposal for you.
Among the reasons I'm successful at this
work is I'm a superb listener and interviewer. In addition to the extensive
interviewing performed for my bestselling books, I've used my conversational
skills to tackle projects for such renowned organizations as Morgan Stanley,
Reuters, American Insurance Group, New York Mercantile Exchange, Northern
Telecom, Juno Online Services, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Congress.
I can therefore pick up a great deal of information about your book by
simply chatting with you casually over the phone and via email.
In addition, I have a sharp sense of humor.
I've sold
funny articles to such diverse national publications as The
New York Times, Mad Magazine, Spy, American Film, and Advertising
Age; contributed to the book The
Mad Bathroom Companion; am developing several comedy screenplays;
and run a daily-updated Web site that covers the NYC comedy scene (HyReviews.com). My expertise with humor allows me
to write with wit and an easy-going style, thus avoiding the sort of dry,
muted tone that spells death for most nonfiction books.
On top of all that, I learn very quickly;
have an intuitive understanding of how to communicate effectively to a
mass audience; am meticulous about details; and am second to none at every aspect
of book development.
If you have an existing manuscript, please know
that I'm a world-class book editor. I've turned books that no one wanted to
buy into hot properties through thoughtful—and at times brutal—cuts,
revisions, and rewriting.
And if you aren't interested in a proposal but simply want to
self-publish a book, I'm also an expert ghostwriter who can efficiently create
a book from scratch and deliver a Word document ready for you to print.
To learn more about my experience, please
click below to explore:
You can also read about the 14 books I've
published to date by searching for "Hy Bender" via either Google or online book superstore Amazon.com. The following are the covers
of several of my books:
Four of Hy's 14 published
books
Creating a book proposal is challenging and
time-consuming, so this isn't an inexpensive process. That said, I'm quite
affordable if you're serious about getting published to get out your message,
enhance your reputation, and/or push your career to the next level.
Further, when you land a publisher you'll
typically receive an advance of anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000+ (depending
on the projected number of readers likely to buy your book); and if your
sales take off, you could earn a great deal more than that from your royalties.
If you need a book proposal,
look no further. I'm one of the very best proposal writers in the country. Even
New York Times bestselling authors turn to me for help.
Alternatively, if you need an entire book written,
I'm a quick, efficient, and superb ghostwriter.
And if you're working on a fiction manuscript,
I'm also exceptionally fine at providing analysis, editorial, and ghostwriting
help. (To learn more about my expertise with storytelling, please visit my
movie analysis site at HyOnYourScript.com.) And yes, I can create
a proposal for a novel too; but with fiction, you have to write the entire
manuscript first, and then use the proposal as a marketing tool to sell agents
and publishers on your story.
Please don't hesitate to share your book plans with me.
I receive hundreds of book and movie ideas a year, and as a matter of policy
keep them all strictly confidential. Protecting the concepts of my clients,
and potential clients, is as automatic for me as breathing.
My email address is hy@hyreviews.com, and I'd love
to hear from you.
To read Hy's analysis of live comedy, theatre, and TV
shows,
